Report: Poland, Lithuania want nuclear curbs in sanctions on Russia

MOSCOW, Jan 13 (PRIME) -- Poland and Lithuania want the E.U. to impose restrictions on Russia's nuclear sector as part of new sanctions against Moscow and Minsk for the operation in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Friday, citing senior diplomats from the two E.U. countries.

The E.U.'s leading Russia hawks will propose that the bloc bans more "Russian propaganda" media outlets and cuts more Russian banks from the SWIFT global messaging system, the diplomats said, asking not to be identified.

"It is more and more difficult to get the necessary unanimity in the E.U. for more sanctions. Nonetheless, we will propose an ambitious new package," said one of the diplomats.

They said the 10th E.U. package of sanctions since Russia started the military operation in Ukraine should be ready in time for the first anniversary on February 24.

They wanted new sanctions against Russia's ally Belarus, where they said loopholes allowed it to bypass European sanctions against Moscow in trading goods including furniture.

That chimes with an announcement earlier this month by the E.U.'s chief executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, that the bloc would impose sanctions against Belarus for aiding Russia.

Russia used Belarus as a springboard and since October has deployed troops in Belarus for joint military drills.

Ukraine has already called on the 27-nation E.U. to include Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom in its next round of sanctions, a move that has so far been blocked by Hungary, among others.

Hungary has four Russian-built nuclear reactors and plans to expand that by two, to be built by Rosatom.

"Are you comfortable with a partner like that? Who invades a neighbouring country while also building your nuclear plant?," said a senior Ukrainian diplomat attending the same meeting on Friday with the EU diplomats in the bloc's hub Brussels.

They proposed that Rosatom and/or its leadership be blacklisted as a first step that should then lead to winding down cooperation in the E.U. with Russia's nuclear industry.

The E.U. currently has some 1,300 individuals and 120 entities blacklisted, as well as economic sanctions in place that include the trade, transport, energy, banking, media and defense sectors.

The senior diplomats said they would also try again to end Belgium's diamond trade with Russia through new E.U. sanctions and expand bans on trade in goods that can be used for military purposes.

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